Spire Motorsports announced that they fined driver Carson Hocevar $50,000 after he described Mexico City as a “s**thole.”
On a Twitch stream ahead of the Cup race in Mexico City Hocevar said, “If the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn’t such a s**thole, if the track limits were a little bit better enforced, if it was going to be a little bit better of a race, and [if it didn’t] feel so locked down like you can’t leave anywhere, it’d be a great experience. It’d be an absolute great experience. If you take all those out, it’s unbelievable. It’s great.”
for the people defending this dude, here’s the video, so…
estos días habia visto fans de nascar racistas (como el que escribió este tweet, y en las respuestas) pero, los pilotos también? terriblehttps://t.co/YH1HKf9bVN https://t.co/dnxc2c0aYu pic.twitter.com/NnEMtf84c9
— ⋆montse⋆ #RUSSONELLI 🥇🥉🩵 (@checoflan) June 15, 2025
Following Sunday’s race, Hocevar addressed the comments on X, “Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan. When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed.”
“I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway,” he added. “Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it’s me. I’m sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.”
Now, Spire Motorsports announced that in consultation with NASCAR it has fined Hocevar $50,000 for those comments. Not only was Hocevar fined, but he will also have to attend “mandatory cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.”
Spire added, “These actions are consistent with Spire Motorsports’ core value of RESPECT, which is something we proudly display on every race car, team uniform, trackside hauler, and digital channel. Respect is not a slogan. It is a daily expectation that we ‘walk the walk’ in how we speak, compete, and serve the communities that welcome our sport. Carson Hocevar’s recent comments made during the livestream fell short of that standard. They did not represent the views of Spire Motorsports, our partners, or NASCAR. He has acknowledged his mistake publicly, and his prompt, sincere apology demonstrated personal accountability. We now take this additional step to underscore that words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud.”
“Spire Motorsports has informed NASCAR of these penalties, and NASCAR has confirmed that our team-imposed discipline satisfies the sanctioning body’s requirements. Together we remain committed to showcasing NASCAR’s global growth, celebrating the passionate Mexican fanbase we experienced firsthand last weekend, and ensuring every member of our organization treats hosts, competitors, and communities with dignity.”
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) June 17, 2025
What do you make of this penalty?
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